[KS] Fuji Kawashima

[Mark Peterson]

I, too, feel extremely saddened by Fuji's sudden passing.  And I echo 
Mike's feelings and his appreciation for David's eulogy -- certainly 
his artistic gifts and sketchpad were a wonderful dimension to his 
talent and personality.  I would like to add the concept of sonbae to 
the enfolding eulogy.  He was my sonbae in all the warm and good 
nuances of the term.  He was enough ahead of me in the pipeline, that 
he could have ignored me as a much, much too junior person -- we never 
had classes together.  He had just left the halls of 2 Divinity Ave, 
and the H-Y Library when I arrived.  The echo of his name was still 
around, although he had left for Korea for his fieldwork.  So when we 
met, I felt like I knew him, but he had no way of knowing me, yet, he 
warmly coached me, shared experiences with me and mentored me.  He 
always sends me copies of his articles, so I feel like he is still 
mentoring me.  A warm friend, a great colleague and all that a sonbae 
can be.

Thank you, Fuji.  Godspeed to you.

Mark Peterson





On Mar 7, 2006, at 8:47 AM, Michael Robinson wrote:

> David has captured part of the essence of Fuji's personality in 
> reminding us of his giving nature.  I first met Fuji as a graduate 
> student at Washington in the mid-1970s.  I remember him sitting with 
> us by the hour and discussing our interests and proposed topics of 
> study.  His quiet encouragement was a source of inspiration to all of 
> us at Washington at the time.  And his personal example of openness, 
> lack of pretension, warmth, and intellectual engagement was very much 
> a model of what I hoped to become as a member of the academy.  I'm 
> saddened by his passing, but I'm smiling with every memory I have of 
> my all too infrequent encounters with this wonderful man.
>
> Mike Robinson
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David McCann" 
> <dmccann at fas.harvard.edu>
> To: "Korean Studies Discussion List" <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 9:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [KS] Fuji Kawashima
>
>
>> Let there be many recollections and appreciations of Fuji.  It will 
>> be a comfort to read what others may write on his work in the field 
>> of history, but I also hope there will be some who know more than I 
>> about his watercolors and sketches.  I remember at a meeting a few 
>> years back, he showed me a sketchbook, and there was in his manner a 
>> bit of wonder at his remarkable talent.  The work was full of life.  
>> I had the sense that he had discovered that path rather late, and 
>> perhaps was surprised by it. Didn't he make sketches where he had 
>> travelled and stayed, and give them to his hosts?  Gifted, and giving 
>> so joyfully.
>>
>>
>> David McCann
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/6/06 6:43 PM, Robert Provine wrote:
>>
>>> Dear list:
>>>
>>> Bruce Cumings has sent the list-owners the terribly sad news that 
>>> Fuji Kawashima, the great historian of Korea at Bowling Green State 
>>> University, has passed away very suddenly.    More information on 
>>> Professor Kawashima will certainly come out in the near future, but 
>>> I wanted to inform the Korean studies community quickly about this 
>>> unexpected and tragic news.
>>>
>>> Rob Provine
>>> Moderator
>>>
>>
>
>
>